Below Ba Sing Se
by Tetsuhiro Morinaga
Summary: What started out as a one-shot has turned into an alternate reality to season 3 of Avatar, where Zuko and Katara have feelings for each other. There was always a tension between those two that I sort of wished would result in something in the show itself. But I guess I'll have to make due with this fanfiction Rated T. It may become rated M in the future...we'll see.
1. Below Ba Sing Se

The teal glow surrounding two tense bodies was too calming for the situation. Katara would rather be in a foul dungeon with this boy, than in a chamber which reminded her vaguely of the magical cave where she had had her first kiss. Zuko had been sitting completely still since he had picked himself up from where the Dai Lee had thrown him into the cell, his back to the water bending master that was his only companion. She was certain that she could put up a fight, if she had her bending water, but that was yet another luxury that the enemy had stolen from her. She was frustratingly and terrifyingly vulnerable.

One pulse of energy still called to her, more pure and vibrant than any other water she had ever been around. None of the guards had bothered to check a necklace for weaponry, not as if it mattered. This was no fighting water, and Katara knew without even considering the option that she would never abuse the vial's contents by using it against someone else. As the silence stretched on, all the hatred and blame building in Katara exploded in one, strikingly loud, question.

"Why did they throw you in here?!" She could immediately tell that no answer was going to be given. Zuko, usually so fiery-tempered and rude, didn't move a muscle.

"Oh, let me guess, it's a trap! So that when Aang comes to rescue me, you'll finally have him in your clutches!" She felt her face grow warm with her anger as her voice increased in volume, and this outburst finally inspired a reaction, however small. A slit of an eye – surrounded in angry, red scar tissue – revealed itself as Zuko turned to glance over his shoulder at her. Katara could gauge no emotion, however, and the action did nothing but rile her up more.

"You're a _terrible_ person, you know that?! Always hunting the Avatar; the world's one last hope for peace! But what do you care; you're the fire lord's son. Spreading hatred and violence is in your blood."

"You don't know what you're talking about." The calm response was just as effective in infuriating Katara as being ignored. It didn't matter what Zuko said, she was finally taking out months of hatred and fear on the person she credited to the endangering of her family. He was egotistical, violent scum, and if she had her water, Katara would already have beaten him to a pulp. Frozen him in a block of ice until he begged for forgiveness.

"I don't?! How dare you! You have no idea what this war has put me through! Me, personally. The Fire Nation took my mother away from me…" In unleashing all of those strong emotions, more flooded out of her than Katara had wanted and – before she could even try to compose herself – she was sobbing on her knees on the floor like an anguished child. What did it matter anyway? Zuko had the upper hand now no matter what. He had his fire. There was nothing she could do to stop him.

It was a mistake to close her eyes, Katara discovered, as a vivid image of her mother filled her mind's eye and she could no longer control the torrent of tears sliding down her cheeks. Even in her despair, she could feel the life in the liquid flowing from her body.

"…I'm sorry." Confusion made her crying even louder as she cradled her head in her arms. Why would he say something like that? Was he making fun of her? "That's something we have in common." A tear-streaked face appeared from its hiding place as Katara struggled with what she had just heard, her sobbing coming to a halt in her befuddlement. She wiped a salt water trail from her face as she turned to look at the boy that was now halfway facing her. The silence was charged with energy, just like before, but without such an angry tint to it. Of course, Katara was still very suspicious, weary of this calm version of the boy she thought she knew, but she slowly stood; turning to face Zuko as he pulled himself to his feet as well.

The pause dragged on for what felt like forever, but Katara seemed to be the only one bothered by it. Zuko had that same, emotionless expression on his marred, yet undeniably handsome, face. Much of the anger had died at this point, and Katara couldn't help but notice that she had been the only one yelling and being irrational. Crying and throwing a temper tantrum like a toddler. Regret washed over her, coupled with the confusion and curiosity of Zuko's strange words.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you."

"It doesn't matter." He turned his face away as if to show how much he didn't care. Not exactly a surprising reaction from someone who had never seemed to give a second thought to her or her friends before.

"…It's just that, when I imagined the face of the enemy, it's always been your face." Amber eyes flashed up to meet hers before darting to look at the ground at Zuko's feet. Fingers came up to touch the flame etched into his features and his voice became different somehow. Bordering on melancholy.

"My face…I see."

"No, no, that's not what I meant…" Katara took a few steps closer to her enemy, her weariness fading with the new tone in his voice. There had been an emotion in his gaze for that split second it met hers. An emotion all too familiar to her. Grief.

"It's okay. I used to think that this scar marked me. The mark of a banished prince, cursed to chase the ghost of the Avatar forever. But lately, I've realized that I'm free to choose my own destiny. Even if I'll never be free of this mark." There was a sincerity to Zuko's small speech – the most he had spoken since he had been tossed in here with her – and Katara could not help but to believe what he said. A part of her, the part that remembered all the times this boy had tried to take what was dear to her, was screaming at her that she was being naïve and stupid. But still she reached for the tiny miracle hanging around her neck.

"Maybe you _could_ be free of it…"

"What…?" The look Zuko gave her reflected Katara's own feelings. His eyes were filled for a mere instant with blind, unreasonable hope; which was then quickly masked by his guard.

"I have healing abilities." All hope left his face at the words, and Zuko's voice lost the ring of emotion that it had had a moment ago.

"It's a scar. It can't be healed." The hand touching the vial through her clothes reached inside, pulling the necklace out so Zuko could see it. A small smile touched Katara's features at the idea of maybe being able to help; to take away some of the anguish and shame that Zuko was obviously dealing with. He really seemed to have changed…

"This is water from the spirit oasis in the North pole. It has special properties, though I've been saving it for something important…" Slipping the twine from her neck, Katara risked a few more steps closer to her cell mate; her posture meek and slightly on guard. "I don't know if it would work, but…"

Standing face to face for the first time, Zuko's stare – however emotionless – scorched into Katara's very being, and she stared back up at him in wonderment. She had never dreamed that she would be this close to the mighty Prince Zuko. He glanced once at the vial she was holding out, then back up to her round, innocent eyes – so full of earnest good will – and closed his own; his face angling away. It was as if he was closing himself off from even a chance of hope. As if he didn't want to believe the words he was hearing for fear that the optimism would turn into bitter disappointment.

Katara's hand came up without her even thinking, her fingertips grazing his scar with a gentleness he hadn't felt since before the shame had been seared onto his face. With his eyes open, Katara had noticed nothing but their burning, amber flame; the shared emotion she saw being so unexpected that it mesmerized her. Now, with that distraction gone, she could see the full extent to which Zuko had been injured. The scar looked so much more painful up close. As her hand felt the contours of Zuko's damaged skin, Katara wondered vaguely who had given it to him. For some reason, she didn't feel like it was okay to ask.

She never dreamed that she would have so much in common with this banished tyrant; who, oddly enough, didn't seem much like a tyrant anymore. In that moment, she would have done anything in the world to take away even a bit of his sadness. To see the great prince of rage smile, even a little. This feeling hit her like a platypus-bear strike and her hand froze in its wanderings. For some unknown reason, healing his scar was not the action she wanted to try at that moment. Time stood still as Katara's face inched ever closer to Zuko's; his features invitingly peaceful in that instant that seemed to last an eternity.

Their lips met and it was an explosion. All of the anger, frustration, confusion, understanding and shared grief merged in their two bodies with that singular touch. Katara felt Zuko's body tense at the unexpected kiss, and she was certain that he would pull away immediately. Instead, their lips remained touching – motionless – for what felt like another few seconds and another eternity all at once.

It definitely wasn't the way Katara had imagined making out to be like. She had expected more…movement. She was just about to pull away herself when the shuffling of Zuko's foot echoed throughout the chamber. In that one step towards her, all self control was lost.

A strong arm wound around Katara's waist, pulling her suddenly and a little too forcefully forward, into Zuko's body. The first thing she noticed was how warm he was compared to her. She had never felt anyone's body heat as much as this; it was as if he was a furnace. An almost too hot hand came up to cup the back of Katara's neck, locking her in Zuko's arms and to his lips.

His lips, scorching with heat and unchained passion, were far from motionless now. Katara felt her head slipping away from her as his mouth coaxed hers into the dance. Two slender hands came to rest on Zuko's chest, yet Katara could not bring herself to push him away. Fear and confusion mixed with the passion as the kiss continued. What was she doing?! Kissing the enemy! And enjoying it…

BAM!

That insane amount of warmth that Katara was adjusting to vanished, and she shivered a little in the aftermath of the collapsed ceiling falling to join them on the cell floor. Dust clouds obscured the source of the collapse, but Katara readied herself just in case it was something malevolent. Zuko took his fighting stance as well, and Katara couldn't help but to glance over at him. All emotion was gone from his features again. There was no evidence at all that his body had lost control; had wanted hers. Did she dream it? There was little time to think about the possibilities as two figures descended from what looked like a tunnel they had dug.

The second she saw the arrow, Katara leapt forward in relief; encasing Aang in a hug as Iroh rushed to Zuko. The warmth she had felt before in the embrace of a boy was gone as Aang wrapped his arms around her. She was sure it was merely Zuko's fire bending that made him so warm to the touch; but – for some reason that Katara couldn't even begin to fathom – it felt different. There had been something else that was absent now. The only word she could conjure to describe it was "spark". She didn't know what was going to happen next, or what she was going to do about the situation, but Katara couldn't deny what she had felt in those few moments underneath the great city of Ba Sing Sei.


	2. In the Heart of a Lie

_Hi everyone! I'm considering quite a few chapters for this story now, but I haven't hashed everything out just yet. This chapter takes place in the Fire Nation, after Azula shishkabobs Aang with her lightening in Ba Sing Se. It focuses around Zuko's internal conflict (if you guys remember his fever dream where Iroh and Azula are dragons talking to him. I got a lot of inspiration from that episode.) Anyway, hope you enjoy! Any critique or comment is welcome in the review box!_

_Chp. 2: In the Heart of a Lie_

Everything was perfect. His father had taken him back, his honor restored. He was under the royal roof again, being treated like a god. He had everything he could ever have wanted and more. So why was Zuko still so angry? The burgundy of his ceiling stared back at him in the dark as he brooded over his confusing emotions. Images of his uncle – turning to ruin in that dank cell he sometimes visited – his mother; they were all he could think about. His head kept telling him that he should be happy. Somehow, all of those thoughts seemed to have Azula's voice. Yet there was something inside of him, something he couldn't ignore no matter how much he tried, that was persisting that this was wrong. Everything was retchedly wrong.

"Mmh…Zuko?" Amber eyes snapped to attention at the groggy whisper. The sheets rustled softly as Mai brought herself closer, her legs wrapping around one of Zuko's as she warmed her feet on his. He felt her lips on his neck as she nuzzled into the hollow of his shoulder. This level of intimacy was something completely new to him, and it held the same confliction as the rest of his life here. His heart should be bursting with joy at Mai's touch, and he couldn't deny that he cared for her a lot. A lot more than he did for most others. Enough to where the last thing he wanted was to hurt her. But that same voice was whispering the despairing, undisputable truth. This too, was completely wrong.

Zuko and Mai – with their bleak outlook on humanity and problems with emotions – seemed like the perfect match. They had so much in common. Yet there was a looming ghost in the relationship, at least for Zuko. The image of piercing, sapphire eyes; full to the brim with a mirror of his own grief. The straight, almost-black hair of his girlfriend would spontaneously turn a lighter brown, slightly curly at the ends. When he closed his eyes, it was Katara's hand on his face; making his scar burn. He had never felt so gravitated towards another human being in his life. The look on her face when he had attacked with his sister in Ba Sing Se pierced his heart in two. The connection between them was something Zuko had never felt before; and he had destroyed it as though it were nothing.

"What are you thinking about? You're really tense." Even when she was half asleep, Mai's voice held little emotion, but Zuko could hear what concern she let show and knew there was more underneath her mask.

"I'm just thinking about what Azula said at the last meeting with Father. About the solar eclipse." Fire Lord Ozai had not acted surprised as his youngest child described what the Earth King had told her; that the resistance was planning an invasion on the day when their firebending dies. His eyebrow had raised an infinitesimal amount and he had merely waved a hand in his daughter's direction.

'I trust you to plan accordingly.' The smile on his sister's face had sent uncomfortable chills up Zuko's spine.

"Azula's got it under control, you're dad will be fine. You need to rest." Mai had no problem slipping back into unconsciousness, and Zuko didn't have to wait long before he heard her breath become slower and heavier. Yet sleep refused him, and he stared at his ceiling just as before; a plan forming in his mind. A plan that half of his brain felt was traitorous and unforgivable. Yet the other half – the thoughts that always seemed to come in his uncle's mysterious tones – knew it was the only way. It was up to him to bring peace to his nation and the world; and he was going to do it by helping the Avatar restore balance to his bending, as well as the four nations. Zuko felt the silk sheets around his perfumed body as he lay on a mattress made with the best wool, and plotted his escape from the lie he was trapped in.


	3. The Encounter

_This chapter takes place after Zuko fails to join the group, burns Toph's feet, and fights Combustion Man. I thought about writing through all of that, but I've decided that this fanfiction is only going to cover Zuko's interactions with Katara, as well as the rest of the group. I'm changing the plot a little from the show to support the romance between Zuko and Katara, but other than that, the main plot and actions in the story remain the same, and would probably be boring to read about if you've already watched the show :p So just a heads up, there will be time skips._

Chp. 3: The Encounter

"So…here ya go. Home sweet home, at least for now….lunch, soon…uh…welcome aboard?" Zuko had no idea what to say to his extremely awkward guide, so he merely turned to acknowledge the words of welcome, forcing what he hoped was a convincing smile as Sokka stared. He felt himself physically relax as the water tribe warrior turned and left, a quick glance taking in his new room in his solidarity. It was plain, in accordance with the air nomads' modest way of life. But at least the bed looked comfortable. The battle with his assassin – "Combustion Man" as he had been dubbed by his new group – had seemed to erase at least a little of the grudge everyone had against him, and Zuko marveled at how his plan was coming together. All he had to do now was to keep from betraying their new found trust in him; to show them that he really was on their side. Of the three of them, he had been surprised when Toph had been the most enthusiastic for his stay. Her feet, although mostly healed due to Katara, still bore the marks of his flame from the night before. If it hadn't been for her, defeating the man he hired to kill Aang may not have been enough to warrant a second chance. But he was in, and now his only thought should be teaching the Avatar firebending.

Throwing his bag on the bed, Zuko began unpacking. Mixed in with what little clothing he had, he found a picture he had snagged from the family mansion before he left. Kind eyes stared back at him, and the many riddles and guiding words rang in his head as Zuko stared at his uncle's face; etched into the wood with such a likeness that he almost thought the painted carving would speak. Iroh had escaped himself before his nephew could free him on the day of the eclipse, and Zuko had no idea where his only real family had gone. Wherever he was, though, Zuko was sure he was regretting putting so much love and trust into someone who's only thanks was a knife in the back. A presence at his door snapped Zuko out of his dark thoughts.

Standing from where he had sat on his bed, Zuko turned, taking a step forward in his excitement to see the girl leaning on his doorframe; her face hidden by the shadowy room and her hair. The hint of an actual smile that graced his face vanished when she spoke. It was obvious by her posture and tone of voice that she had not come by to welcome him to the group; to pick up where they left off at Ba Sing Se.

"You might have everyone else here buying your…transformation, but you and I both know that you've struggled with doing the right thing in the past." Piercing, ominous – yet still startlingly beautiful – blue eyes stabbed through Zuko as Katara passed through the doorway; the rage and suspicion clear on her face in the light from the room's one window. Zuko took an instinctual step back as she drew closer; fights with her in the past fresh in his mind as he took in her menacing words. "So let me tell you something right now: you make _one_ step backward, _one_ slipup. Give me one reason to think you might hurt Aang, and you won't have to worry about your destiny anymore. Because I'll make sure your destiny ends, _right then and there_. Permanently."

Zuko stood stock still, petrified by her threat, as Katara turned to leave. This was a one eighty from the kind, gentle girl he had spoken to in that dungeon. Not that he could blame her. Not fifteen minutes after their connection in that gem infested cell, he was throwing fireballs at the Avatar; betraying the first person to trust him since his uncle as he attacked with his sister. He had chosen the wrong side, and he knew that now, but there was nothing he could do to take back the past. He could only try to redeem himself. She was almost out the door when Zuko lunged to stop her. His hand fell on her shoulder and he felt her body lock up with tension.

"Wait! I've changed, Katara. Just give me time to prove it to you! Please…give me a second chance-"

"Get your hand _off _of me!" The ferocity with which she jerked away from him hit Zuko as if she had punched him in the gut. With a forceful slam of the door, she was gone, and he was left in silence to mourn the death of her short-lived trust in him. A trust that he had ended himself.

Feeling drained and depressed, Zuko collapsed on the bed, ready to lose his worries and sorrows in unconsciousness.

_Meanwhile_

Fiery rage coursed through her as Katara marched down the hallway towards her own room. She hated him. She hated how he had tricked her at Ba Sing Se. She hated how he had made her feel. How his hand on her shoulder had made her feel…

"I _don't_ like him!" Her own door slammed shut with just as much force and noise as Zuko's had when she left, and the pitcher of water by her bed exploded in shards of clay with her uncontrollable anger. Heaving a sigh of frustration, Katara bended the water into her flask with a flick of her wrist; leaving the shattered pitcher bone dry on the ground. Her exclamation had been a laughable lie, and that only seemed to piss her off more. '_Why do I still have feeling for this jerk?! I hate him so much! He hurt my family. And, worse than that, he got me to trust him, and then hurt my family some more!'_

But the look on his face as Katara had gone through the speech she had prepared for that encounter was burned into her mind. He had been so happy to see her at first. Then he just looked immensely upset and sad. A part of her felt awful for being the reason for that expression on his face. Who knew how much he had been through already, being raised in a place like the Fire Nation. With people like the Fire Lord and Azula as family…

What Toph had said earlier about it being impressive that he turned out good at all with a backstory like that echoed in Katara's mind and she felt her rage dissolve into uncertainty in her reverie.

Maybe he felt obligated to his insane sister because she was family. Katara was sure that he had been told all his life that the Fire Nation was right in waging war on the world. It must have been extremely confusing to come to the realization that everything you had known since you were a child was a lie.

Sitting on the bed, Katara put her face in her hands, rubbing her eyes and trying to sooth her growing headache. All of these emotions and thoughts were too much right now and she tried her hardest to shut them out; at least for the moment. Yet one question kept ringing, no matter how hard she tried to stop it. Her fingers ran, frustrated, through her hair as she sat in the semi darkness and struggled with her internal conflict. One low murmur sounded in the silence around her raging mind.

"What am I going to do…?"


End file.
